Convertible table.



J. M. DUCHEZ,

OONVERTIBLE TABLE.

JIM/Duck J. M. DUOHEZ. CONVERTIBLE TABLE.

APPLIOATION FILED AUGJS, 1913.

Patented July 14, 1914.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

*onrrnn srns n union JEROME 1V1. DUGHEZ, OF SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA.

oonvnnrrnnn TABLE.

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Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J 14, 10914 Application filed August 5, 1913. Serial No. 783,175. a

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JEROME M. Dnonnz,

citizen of the United States, residing at Sacramento, in the county of Sacramento and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inflon-v vertible Tables, of which the following is.

a specification.

My invention relates to convertible ar ticles of furniture and particularly to a structure which is convertible from a table into a box or trunk or vice versa.

The primary object of my invention is the provision of an article of this character so constructed that it may either be used as a scribed, of foldable legs which when ex-.

tended act to support the table and when folded into position parallel with the body sections of the device, act as additional braces or reinforcements to these body sec tions when folded to form a box.

A further object of the invention is to provide an article of the character described having the sections hinged together, these sections being adapted to be shifted into angular relation to thereby form a box and to provide end pieces for the box attached to the foldable sections, these end pieces be ing preferably formed in sections so that the edge face of one section will abut against and be braced against the end face of an adjacent section so that when the body sections are folded into rectangular relation,

as to form a box or trunk. Fig. 3 is a side;

elevation of the structure when I unfolded to form a" table, parts of the structure being brokenaway ,to show the internal construction. Fig. 4: is an inside plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 3, the legs 11, however, being folded down against the body sections. Fig. 5 is an end view of the body sections partially folded. Fig. 6 is a perspective detail view of the braces whereby the body sections are held in the same plane to form a table top and whereby the legs are held in vertical position. Fig. 7 is a face view of the handle and latch plate.

My improved convertible structure in cludes the parallel longitudinally extending body sections designated 2. These sections may be madeof any suitable material such as wood, metal or composition, each'of the sections having preferably the same Width and length and these sections are hinged to each other as at 3. Preferably the hinges are continuous strap hinges, each hinge eleopposite ends of the body sections 2. Specifically, the end piece designated generally f in Fig. 2 is formed in sections, each of these sections being designated 0. There are as many end sections as there are leaves or body sections 9., there being one of these end sections 5 attached at each end of each body section 2 and depending therefrom as illustrated plainly in Fig. 1.

As illustrated in the drawings, my improved convertible article is formed of four leaves or sect-ions 2 and, therefore, thereare eight end sections, two for each one of the leaves or body sections 2, and disposed at opposite ends thereof. Each of these sections 5 is triangular in form so that when the body sections or leaves 2 are folded into rectangular relation as illustrated in Fig. 2,

iii

the ends thereof. One of these end sections is provided with a stud 6 as illustrated in.

Figs. 1 and 2 while the oppositely disposed ing a notch adapted to engage overthe studend section is provided with a latch 7 piv-. .oted to the last named end section and havsothat" when theflleaves or body sections are folded in rectangular relation they may be held'locked together by means of the latch in Figs. 2 and f, the end sections 5 of the end piecesl, when the structure is folded up, abut against each other,'so that the box when.

formed issu orted'a ainst an colla se or v crushing strain a nd it will,furthermore, be p seen that these" end'se'ctions 5 when the deviceis unfolded so as to form a table, act

leaves.

as cleats or reinforcements to the several "In order tohold the leaves or body sections 2 all in the same plane so as to form 'a table top I preferably provide the braces 8 which ext-end between and are attached to Y the end sections 5. These braces 8, as illustrated in Fig. 6-, are each composed of two sections pivoted to each other at the center as at 9, each section being pivoted at its opposite end as at 10, to one of the triangular end pieces'5 near the apex thereof. The

joint 9 between these braces 6 is, of course,

disposed opposite to the corresponding joint between the leaves or body sections'2 so that the jointed braces may fold up into angular relation to each other when the parts are and level table top.

"sectional member-5so as to brace the end members against any force tending to press Hingedly mounted upon the under side of certain of the body sections or leaves 2, are

the legs 11, these legs being disposed adja cent to the corners of the table top formed by the sections." As illustrated, there are four of these legs, there being a pair of legs hinged to each of the marginal sections 2. These legs are hinged adjacent to the end pieces 5 of the body sections so that when the legs are turned into vertical position as illustrated in Fig. 3, the legs will abut the corresponding end section and be braced thereby. These legs 11 are of such length that when the legs/are turned down to the position shown in Fig. 4', the free end of each of the legs will substantially abut againstthe inner face of the adjacent end them inward. In order to brace the legs I "preferably provide each leg with a folding brace 13- ofthe same construction as the 7. There is, of course, one of these latches 7 j i at eachend of'the structure. It is to be par- I ticularly noted here that, as illustrated clearly brace illustrated in Fig. 6 which will fold up compactly when theleg is closed. In Order to hold theleg in its closed position I preferably form the inner face of the end .piece 5 corresponding to the leg with a recess 14 and with a spring latch 15 which yields as the leg is folded into position parallel to the table top and then springs outward to engage the'leg and hold it as illus trated in dotted lines in Fig. '3. Y I

While Ido not wish to be limitedto its use I] preferably use a combined latch and handle plate upon the ends of the box.- This plate is designated generally 7. The plate is pivoted upon a-stud 16 and the opposite,

end of the plate is formed with a key-hole notch 19 engageable with the stud 6 previously referred to. At the end of theplate below the stud 16is an open slot18 for engagement with another stud 22 on the same member 5 upon which the pivot 16 is located, while the opposite end of the plate at its lower corner is formed with an oblique slot 17 engaging with a screw stud 21 on the same member 5 which contains the stud 6. It will be seen that'this plate 7 acts as a latch and also supports the'handle 20. l/Vhen the parts are moved into the position shown in Fig. 2, the keyhole notch 19in the plate 7 is engaged with the stud 6 and the notches 1718 engage respectively with the screw studs 2122 and the plate is then locked from movement-by setting up the screw studs tightly. The plate 7 then acts as a handle plate and also braces the sections 5 at their meeting point. It is to be particularly noted that the hinges 3 are continuous strap hinges and'preferably these-hinges are disposed upon the outer face of the leaves 2 and at the extreme ends thereof so as to reinforce not only the leaves 2 but also-the sections 5. These hinges act as braces for the four leaves, preventing them from warping or bending, and as braces also for the triangular pieces which constitute the ends of the leaves.

In order that the box shall be air-tight and dust-proof the leaves at their junction are beveled so that when the leaves are folded as a box there will be no empty space between the leaves. A lock of any suitable character is used for the purpose. of holding the box closed,this lock being preferably of the character used on roller top desks.

The operation of my invention will be fully understood from what has gone before. Under normal circumstances the device is folded to form a box and is adapted to rest upon the running board of an automobile or other vehicle. It is particularly useful in carrying food to be afterward served upon. the table to which the box may be converted though, of course, it may be used for other, articles. When it is desired to convert thebox or trunkinto a table,

the locking means is unfastened, the box opened, and the contents removed. The latches 7 are then disengaged from the studs 62122 and the several leaves or body sections 2 turned into one plane and the braces 8 shifted into alinement with each other whereby the body sections are locked in one plane. The table legs 11 are then turned into the position shown in Fig. 1 and locked by the braces 13. The table is then ready for use and can not be tfizcidentally collapsed. When it is desired to convert the table into a box the reverse operation takes place and the parts are folded as shown in Big. 5 until they take the relation shown in Fig. 2. 7

My invention is simple, readily operated, may be cheaply made, and is very convenient, and it will be seen that a maximum space is provided for holding food when the part are moved into the position shown in Fig. 2 and when the legs are disposed within the interior of the box.

While I hav illustrated what I believe to be the best and most convenient form of my invention it is obvious that it may be varied in many details without departing from the spirit thereof and that it may be made up from a large variety of material.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A convertible box or table comprising four leaves hinged to each other for movement into a common plane or into rectangular relation, end pieces divided into four triangular sections, each section being attached to and depending from a corresponding leaf, said sections when the leaves are folded into rectangular relation abutting against each other and forming end pieces for the box, and means for locking the leaves either in a common plane or in angular relation.

2. A convertible box or table comprising four members hinged to each other for movement into a common plane or into rectangular relation, end pieces divided into four triangular sections, each section being attached to and depending from a corresponding leaf, said sections when the leaves are folded into rectangular relation, abutting against each other and forming end pieces for the box, legs hinged to the inner faces of the leaves and movable either into a position perpendicular to the leaves or into a position parallel thereto, and means for holding the legs in a perpendicular posltlon.

3. A convertible box or table comprising a plurality of leaves hinged to each other for movement into a common plane or into angular relation, end pieces each formed in sections, the sections corresponding in number to the number of leaves, each section being attached to and depending from a cor- 5 responding leaf, said sections when the leaves are folded into angular relation abutting against each other, jointed braces attached to and disposed between said sections and movable into position to hold the section in alinement with each other and the leaves in a common plane, and legs hinged to the inner faces of the leaves.

a. A convertible box or table comprising a plurality of leaves hinged to each other for movement into a common plane or into angular relation, end pieces each formed in sections, said sections corresponding in number to the number of leaves, each section being attached to and depending from so a corresponding leaf, said sections when the leaves are folded into angular relation abutting against each other, jointed braces attached to and disposed between said sections and movable into position to hold the sections in alinement with each other and the leaves in a common plane, and legs hinged to the inner faces of the leaves, said legs being of such length that the free end of the leg abuts against the adjacent end section when the leg is folded into a position parallel to the leaves.

5. A convertiblebox or table comprising a plurality of leaves hinged to each other for movement into a common plane or into angular relation, end pieces each formed in sections, each section being attached to a corresponding leaf, leg hinged to the inner faces of the leaves and movable into a position parallel or perpendicular thereto, and yielding latches mounted upon the end pieces and engageable with the lower ends of the legs when the legs are folded to hold the legs in folded position.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JEROME M. DUGHEZ. [n s] Witnesses:

A. A. BAT,

Hnnwic J. ANDERSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0." 

